What Is Ketogenic Diet And What Are Its Benefits?

When we talk about a specific diet we talk about different types of foods, like vegetables, meat, fish, egg and other nuts that are nutritious for our body. Likewise, when we talk about Ketogenic diet and its benefits we talk about the food that makes the keto genic diet.

Before we dive deep into the Ketogenic diet and its benefits, or keto diet for beginners we need to know something about food and its importance, diet and its importance, diet for children, diet for adults, balanced diet and something about calories. Let us read them first.

Food

Food is a necessity in everyone’s life. It gives us energy as well as nutrients that help our growth and development. Our body needs important nutrients. The most important of 5 nutrients are:

• Protein
• Carbohydrate
• Fat
• Vitamins
• Minerals

These nutrients are essential for our body to properly stay healthy. Now, we will know something about diet, what it is about?

Diet

In nutrition, diet plays an important role where the sum of food consumed by you or other organisms. The word “diet” sometimes implies the use of a particular intake of nutrition for health or weight-management.

Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is very important. It gives our body the important nutrients it needs to function properly. To get the proper nutrition from our diet, we should consume most of our daily calories in:

• Fresh vegetables and fruits
• Whole grains and nuts
• Legumes
• Lean proteins

About Calories

The number of calories in food is a measurement of the amount of energy stored in that food. Our body uses calories from the food (food of all types) for walking, thinking, breathing, and other essential functions.

The average individual needs to eat about 2,000 calories on a daily basis to maintain their weight. Moreover, an individual’s specific daily calorie intake can vary depending on their age, gender, and physical activity level. Most men generally need more calories than women, and most women need more calories than general women. People (both men and women) who exercise need more calories than people who do not exercise.

The following are the examples of day-to-day calorie intake are based on USDA i.e. United States Department of Agriculture guidelines:

• Kid/Children Ages 2 to 8 Years: 1,000 – 1,400 calories
• Girls Ages 9 to 13 Years: 1,400 – 1,600 calories
• Boys Ages 9 to 13 Years: 1,600 – 2,000 calories
• Active Women Ages 14 to 30 Years: 2,400 (approx) calories
• Sedentary Women Ages 14 to 30 Years: 1,800 – 2,000 calories
• Active Men Ages 14 to 30 Years: 2,800 – 3,200 calories
• Sedentary Men Ages 14 to 30 Years: 2,000 – 2,600 calories
• Active Men And Women Over 30 Years: 2,000 – 3,000 calories
• Sedentary Men And Women Over 30 Years: 1,600 – 2,400 calories

The source of your day to day calories is just as essential as the number of calories you consume.

Ketogenic Diet

The Ketogenic Diet is a high-fat, sufficient protein, and a very low carbohydrate diet which is used primarily to treat refractory or difficult to control epilepsy in children.

The ketogenic diet is the best-known diet for children suffering from epilepsy.

The diet forces our body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates. Generally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose that is then transported around our body. It is essential in fueling the brain function. Moreover, whether little carbohydrate remains in diet, the liver converts fat into the fatty acids as well as ketone bodies.

The ketone bodies pass into the brain as well as replace glucose as a form of energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state called as ketosis, which leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.

Benefits of Ketogenic Diet

Some evidence shown that the ketogenic diet reduces seizure frequency by more than 50 per cent in ½ of the patients who try it and by more than 90 per cent in a 1/3 of patients. Though, three-quarters of the children who respond within 2-week. Many experts recommend a trial of the least 3-month before assuming it has been ineffective.

• Ketogenic diet benefits at a glance.
• Aids in weight loss
• Reduces acne
• Reduces the risk of cancer
• Improves heart health
• Protects brain functions
• Reduces seizures
• Improves health in women with PCOS

Final Verdict

Any drastic change in your diet can have potential outcomes for your health, which is why you should always talk to your physician or your nutritionist before you go for this type of diet. If you are interested in starting the Ketogenic diet, you should be extra careful to check with your physician whether you have diabetes type I or II, heart diseases, hypoglycemia any issues that may fatal for your health.